Package assembly

ABSTRACT

A package assembly for five television bulbs, the bulbs positioned within the assembly and isolated from one another by a molded separator which has portions that are converse mating parts to a portion of the TV bulb; a number of compressionresistant stiffeners are positioned about the periphery of the separator, and the entire assembly; the separator and bulbs are enclosed in an outer wrapper, usually of a paperboard. A method of packaging, wherein television bulbs are positioned between parts of a molded separator and a portion of the container wall, insulating the TV bulbs from downward compression stress and physical contact between the bulbs, thereby providing a stronger package with more bulbs in a small volumetric area.

United States Patent Deeren Oct. 7, 1975 PACKAGE ASSEMBLY Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr. [75] Inventor: Thomas J. Deeren, Toledo, Ohio f gfi z Agent r Flrm RlChard Dgnce;

e [73] Assignee: Owens-Illinois, lnc., Toledo, Ohio 22 Filed: Sept. 25, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT I [21] APPL NO: 291,944 A package assembly for five television bulbs, the bulbs positioned within the assembly and lsolated from one another by a molded separator which has portions that 6/ 206/521; 217/265; are converse mating parts to a portion of the TV bulb;

229/2.5; 229/14 C a number of compression-resistant stiffeners are posil 365D B651) tioned about the periphery of the separator, and the 365D /42 entire assembly; the separator and bulbs are enclosed [58] Field of Search 206/422, 328, 305, 418, in anouter wrapper, usually of a paperboard.

206/419 521; 229/14 25; 217/26 A method of packaging, wherein television bulbs are positioned between parts of a molded separator and a [56] References cued portion of the container wall, insulating the TV bulbs UNITED STATES PATENTS from downward compression stress and physical 3,245,570 4/1966 Friday 217/26 contact between the bulbs, thereby providing 21 3,306,484 2/[967 Padovani. 217/265 tronger package with more bulbs in a small 3,583,559 6/1971 Brander 206/422 Volumetric area 3,596,830 8/l97l McFarland et a] 229/14 C 1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures US. Patent 0a. 7,1975 Sheet 1 of4 3,910,411

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 shw 2 of 4 3,910,41 1

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 3 of 4 3,910,411

U.S. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 4 of4 3,910,411

Lari

q- 9' LL PACKAGE ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention is a package assembly having a plurality of parts, including a separator, compressionresistant stiffeners, and an outer paperboard wrapper; a number of such packages are assembled in a larger package, the entire assembly being encased in a paperboard package.

2; Description of the Prior Art The prior art package for shipping glass television bulbs is a costly one. The bulbs are packed in an elaborate paperboard carton. The television bulbs are individually wrapped in paperboard separators and posi tioned within a container by a plurality of paperboard stiffeners and reinforcing members. This total package is expensive because of the large amount of the paper- I board required, the complexity of the wrappings to acshaped along its periphery to accommodate four bulbs, a plurality of stiffeners, all positioned 'in a four-wall pa- I .perboard container. The package assembly eliminates the use of large amounts of paperboard, die-cutseparating pieces, and paper separating sheets. This package reduces the weight of the entire package assembly and reduces the number of cubic feet required for each assembly, by nesting five bulbs in a package.

The fifth bulb is positioned differently, so that its neck tube extends vertically in the center, placed be tween four horizontally-nested face plates. It is a characteristic of the prior art shipping method that minimum weight of 19,000 lbs. is contracted and paid for; though, in all cases, the actual weight shipped is far less than the 19,000-lb. limit, due tovolumetric limitations of the truck and the need to keep'the total weight to that which a bottom layer of cartons can support without damage.

This package assembly permits a 54 percent increase in the manner of 19 inch, 1 TV bulbs which may be shipped in one truckload. The addition of a fifth bulb to the assembly will increase the load capacity by a factor of 56 percent.

One-thousand, two-hundred ninety-six bulbs are shipped in the prior art package.

The package assembly of this invention permits 2,000 bulbs to be shipped in the same truckload. Where inch, 1 10 bulbs are shipped, there is an increase from 704 to 960 bulbs in the same volume truck. The assembly of this invention permits economy of storage in a fixed warehouse condition.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with this invention, the package assembly comprises a separator having four concave side areas, which are reverse mating parts to a television funnel-neck assembly and a convex top surface, having an opening therein, with a fifth bulb positioned beneath the convex top surface, the neck tube extending vertically through the opening. Each side surface of the separator has a shaped notch for receiving and positioning a paperboard stiffening member. The stiffener comprises a triangular paperboard-piece, placed in a notch of the separator and extending in a vertical position to a distance about equal to the height of the TV bulbs. A four-walled envelope is positioned about the separator, and a plurality of the stiffening members is positioned in the separator notches and 'in a contacting relationship with the walls of the envelope. The stiffening members serve to reinforce the walls and to provide downward compression-resistance when the packages are in a stacked condition.

This invention is a package assembly comprising a shaped separator, a plurality of stiffening members, all encased in a four-walled envelope; a multiple number of assemblies may be arranged in a stacked form in a container. In one embodiment, four bulbs are in a nested arrangement, positioned within a separator, and a fifth bulb positioned in a face-downward position beneath the separator.

This invention relates to a method of packaging, Comprisingthe steps of positioning bulbous-shaped television bulbs and neck-funnel assemblies in a shaped portion of a separator and encapsulating a fifth bulb in a face-downwardposition, and encasing the entire assembly within a four wall envelope; stiffening said assembly with channel-shaped stiffeners which act in concert with the separator to form a package which is more compression-resistant then either the separator or stiffeners would provide alone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the plastic separator of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the separator of FIG. 1, taken in direction 2-2;

FIG. -3 is a top view of the separator and television funnel assembly;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view, partiallysectioned, of the assembly of .this invention. 1

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The package assembly comprises-a molded, separator 11; the separator 11 is made from sheet material formed in a plastic condition and allowed to harden to the necessary configuration.

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of the molded plastic separator. Each of the four sides has a concave area which is a matching configuration of a portion of a television receiver bulb. The area is designated 12. Notches 13 are positioned about the periphery and have parallel edges 14; the notch is coextensive with the height dimension of the plastic separator. The separator has top portion 15 with a depressed area 16, with a convex bottom area 17, which area is a converse mating portion of a a portion of a television bulb. A separator 11 has four areas 12 in the shape of part of a bulb, and four notches 13 for positioning and holding stiffeners 18. A stiffener 18 is made from a laminated paper material which is folded to form a channel or a rightangled shaped member which is longer than the highest dimension of the television funnel-neck assembly to be packaged. Four stiffeners 18 are positioned about the periphery of the molded plastic separator and are positioned so that they extend vertically, and the bottom surface thereof rests on the bottom of the notched area 13 of the separator.

FIG. 2 shows the separator in side view, showing a shaped area 12 and notch 13.

FIG. 3 shows a partially-assembled package with five television bulbs designated A, B, C, D and E, in position within the package. The Stiffeners 18 are positioned about the periphery of the plastic separator in notches 13, and a stiffener is positioned between each pair of adjoining bulbs A and B, B and C, C and D, D and A. Bulb E is positioned with the face downward and the neck tube extending in a vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 3.

The assemblage of plastic separator 11 and television bulbs A-E is then positioned within a container having four walls, as shown in FIG. 4. Envelope 20 has rim 21 which is slightly greater in height than the height of a television bulb, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Stiffeners 18 are level with the rim 21 of the envelope. In the assembled position, shown in FIG. 4, the envelope is reinforced by the stiffeners 18, meeting rim edges 21.

Stiffeners 18 act as structural reinforcing members and compression-resistant members, permitting several package assemblies to be placed in a stacked position for shipping.

The separator 11 positions and holds television bulbs A-E against the side walls 22 of the envelope 20 and also serves to separate and position the bulbs from each other.

Notched areas 13 position the reinforcing members 18 in a vertical position. The channel shape serves to strengthen the stiffener against bending when a compression is exerted in a downward direction, and which also serves to both reinforce the outer container and to protect the delicate glass bulbs from damage in transit due to shock and/or compression.

This invention relates to a method of packaging television bulbs to provide a maximum number of bulbs in a minimum amount of volumetric space and to provide a package which is resistant to compression and which protects the television bulbs from breakage due to physical contact and/or shock resulting from sudden motion during transit.

The method comprises the steps of positioning four television bulbs about the periphery of a shaped container, in. a plurality of areas of the separator which are reverse mating portions to a portion of the television bulbs; placing a fifth television bulb in a face downward position with its neck extending in a vertical position; and enclosing the five television bulbs in an outer wrapper and positioning a plurality of stiffening members in contact with the outer wrapper and also in contact with a shaped area or notch in the separator. The combination of the outer wrapper and plastic separator, acting together with the stiffening members, position the television bulbs in a vertical position, with the neck tube thereof extending in a horizontal position, a fifth TV bulb positioned in a face downward manner, with its neck tube extending vertically, and a plurality of packages of five bulbs assembled in a group and an outer wrapper positioned about the assembly.

This method of packaging provides a maximum number of bulbs in a minimum amount of volumetric areas and a package which is strong and resistant to compression.

I claim:

1. A package assembly comprising in combination:

a. an outer wrapper; and

b. a separator, said separator positioned within said wrapper, said separator having a plurality of shaped areas formed in each side wall of the separator, the shaped areas being the convex mating shape to a portion of a bulbous television bulb, the separator having a plurality of notches formed in the side walls of the separator;

c. said separator having a depression in the top thereof, said depression having a bottom panel having an opening therein;

' ',d. a plurality of stiffening members, said members positioned in the notches of the separator; and

e. said separator positioned within said outer wrapper whereby a concave area of the separator and a wall of the wrapper position a television bulb in the concave area and the stiffening members, positioned in the notches, resist downward depression of the as' sembled package. 

1. A package assembly comprising in combination: a. an outer wrapper; and b. a separator, said separator positioned within said wrapper, said separator having a plurality of shaped areas formed in each side wall of the separator, the shaped areas being the convex mating shape to a portion of a bulbous television bulb, the separator having a plurality of notches formed in the side walls of the separator; c. said separator having a depression in the top thereof, said depression having a bottom panel having an opening therein; d. a plurality of stiffening members, said members positioned in the notches of the separator; and e. said separator positioned within said outer wrapper whereby a concave area of the separator and a wall of the wrapper position a television bulb in the concave area and the stiffening members, positioned in the notches, resist downward depression of the assembled package. 